Creative Advertising MA

You’ll get to grips with the contexts and histories of modern advertising and the industry’s professional cultures through collaborative workshops, tutorials and studio-based activities. 

As you progress through the essential steps of creating an ad, you’ll explore the creative ideation process in depth, honing fundamental skills in art direction, copywriting, strategy, planning, pitching and creative problem-solving techniques. Working with our dedicated technicians and computer facilities, you will master industry standard software and methods for creating experiential, interactive and immersive campaign areas. 

Modules

Concept Creation

On this introductory module you will explore the craft of advertising through a future-facing lens. You'll be introduced to the advertising industry and the agency landscape and engage with the techniques and vocabularies used in the creation of advertising, developing advanced approaches to concept creation and interpretation of briefs.  

Strategic Approaches to Creativity

This module will develop your grounding in advanced communication strategy. Through both modelling and studio work, you will explore behavioural economics; audience, brand and cultural analysis; and key advertising theories and other advances in marketing science. 

Sustaining Practice

This module builds on the strategic thinking skills you have accrued to further explore creative concepts for a different range of communication objectives. 

To help you prepare for and shape your unique portfolio and personal brand as an advertising professional, you will develop leadership skills and presentation craft, with space to explore ideas around enhancing personal creativity and wellbeing.    

You will also have the opportunity to apply your mastery of advertising skills to industry competitions and graduate shows. In previous years, we have attended D&AD New Blood and Creative Conscience. 

Digital Media and Critical Futures

This module is focused on the future of advertising. You will explore and analyse the impact of technology on the advertising landscape; how it has fundamentally altered patterns of media consumption and where further technological advancements may be leading us.  

Channelling this deeper understanding, you will create future-facing advertising campaigns that use technology or non-conventional media in radical and unorthodox ways. 

Building on the skills and knowledge you have developed during the course, you will hone your professional and creative identity by developing a unique portfolio of creative work in response to a variety of both self-initiated and industry-led briefs.  

You will build your portfolio through workshops and seminar discussions with your peers, creating stand-out, attention grabbing campaigns that could catch the eye of industry creatives.  

You will showcase your work in an online portfolio and may have the opportunity to apply to take your work to the D&AD New Blood exhibition in London, where in previous years our students have pitched and presented their ideas to senior advertising creatives looking to network with the next generation of advertising talent. 

Modules

Final Portfolio 

For any creative advertising graduate, the portfolio is their calling card and replaces the traditional 'CV' as the most important factor for getting their first job. 

This module builds on the skills you have accumulated in all your previous modules, to produce a distinctive portfolio that showcases your skills and creativity to prospective employers. 

Your portfolio will include brand new campaigns using briefs devised with your tutors, demonstrating a breadth of advertising styles and outputs. 

This is a one-year, full-time course delivered over 45 weeks and divided into three 15-week study blocks.

Working in small groups, you’ll learn in seminars, workshops, and through individual and team tutorials. Your projects and processes will mirror life in a full-service agency as you work in copywriter/art director pairs, as well as individually. Lectures from industry professionals will provide advertising and media insights, and you’ll find helpful research and project work information in our Virtual Learning Environment.

Assessment methods

• Assessment at the end of each study block.
• Combination of visual, verbal and written assignments.
• Final, external assessment takes place in September.

We welcome applications from those with relevant equivalent Level 6 qualifications, or relevant equivalent experience, and a demonstrable interest in the subject.

We’ll also welcome your application if you have formal or 'certified' learning (such as training courses not run by universities or colleges) and learning from work experience or self-study. This is called Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL), and should have been gained within the last five years, and be equivalent to the learning outcomes of our minimum entry qualifications.

APL applicants using experience to apply should note there is an application fee for entry with advanced standing or with exemption from specific modules or credit.

If English isn’t your first language, you'll need to demonstrate English language skills that are sufficiently developed for successful completion of your studies. We accept a range of recognised English language qualifications that are equivalent to the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic minimum score of 6.5 overall, with a minimum of 6.0 in Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening.

International applicants who require a student visa to study in the UK must take a recognised language test that is approved and vouched for by the University. Our Applicant Services Team can help with any questions you may have about study visas or suitable language tests.